Killing Time In Eternity - Edge Series 4 by George G. Gilman Page A
Authors: George G. Gilman
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honed by many years of mutual understanding between the long-married couple. ‘And that’s what he surely did try to be. The way he went for Billy, not caring a hoot he couldn’t possibly give that young man the hiding he maybe deserved for the language he used in front of a lady.’
‘What important part, Mrs Hicks?’ Edge reminded.
She went to sit behind her husband’s desk. ‘I reckon you’re fixing to find out who tried to kill you behind the old Roy Sims store last night?’
‘It interests me a lot, lady.’
‘Be the same one who killed poor Doc Childs and his big city lawman friend and no mistake. The New York guy who was maybe going to try to uncover the truth about Billy’s death?’
‘There’s every chance it was the same feller, I figure.’
‘Somebody who didn’t want the truth about how and why Billy died to be found out?’
‘Do you have a good reason to believe the kid was murdered, Mrs Hicks?’
59
Her husband made to say something but she held up a hand and he remained reluctantly silent.
‘Well, I ain’t no big city lawman,’ Annie said grimly. ‘Nor any lazy, good-for-nothing small town marshal. But if you want I’ll tell you the important part, as far as I’m concerned. And you can decide for yourself?’
‘I’m listening, lady.’
‘Billy’s troublesome problem was the Colbert woman, is what I think, mister.’
‘I was getting around to – ‘ Hicks attempted to excuse himself defensively.
‘You know of the Colberts, Mr Edge?’ the woman asked as her husband expressed resignation and shifted yet again into a more comfortable position in the chair.
‘I’ve heard they have a big piece of property north-west of town. And they don’t need to scrape around to find money when bills are due. Seen for myself the sister has the brother under her thumb. That’s about it.’
Annie Hicks nodded. ‘Arthur and Olivia who run a fine spread by all accounts. Had a good start at it because the place was built up from nothing by their pa and ma. Both of them killed in a Mississippi riverboat accident awhile back.’
Hicks nodded his agreement.
‘Arthur’s a lawyer by profession and a confirmed bachelor by inclination. Which used to upset some local ladies when he was younger and they were husband hunting. But now he’s well into his fifties and so the unmarried ladies of Eternity have given up on him ever being lured to the altar.’
‘Annie, Mr Edge ain’t interested in – ‘
‘Olivia’s a different kettle of fish,’ the woman pressed on. ‘Coming up to forty but still a handsome woman. And still too flighty by half is the general opinion. Lets it be known when the fancy takes her that she’s not averse to some gentle romancing. Why, there was a time a few years back – ‘
Her husband was becoming steadily more embarrassed and interrupted again to say firmly: ‘Even though he was half her age, Billy had a yen for Olivia Colbert, Mr Edge. And he sure tried to pitch woo with her. Maybe succeeded, for all we know.’
His wife said earnestly: ‘No one but her and Billy ever knew one way or the other. Fact is, them two were friendly for a while and who had a yen for who at the start is . . .’
She shrugged. ‘But it was surely finished a couple of months before he was killed.’
‘Week or so after it ended was when Billy started acting not like his usual self,’ Hicks said.
60
‘But it didn’t seem like it was just a matter of Olivia tiring of him,’ Annie explained.
‘Travis can tell you that. There was trouble threatened. And it looked like Billy was maybe bought off from seeing Olivia any more.’
‘Darn it, there was a run-in with a bunch of hired hands, Annie. You don’t know if it had anything to do – ‘
Edge asked: ‘A run-in?’
‘A quarrel that seemed like it could’ve broken out into a fight,’ Hicks said and shot an imperious glance at his wife. ‘I was there and so I know exactly what happened.’
She argued: ‘You
‘What important part, Mrs Hicks?’ Edge reminded.
She went to sit behind her husband’s desk. ‘I reckon you’re fixing to find out who tried to kill you behind the old Roy Sims store last night?’
‘It interests me a lot, lady.’
‘Be the same one who killed poor Doc Childs and his big city lawman friend and no mistake. The New York guy who was maybe going to try to uncover the truth about Billy’s death?’
‘There’s every chance it was the same feller, I figure.’
‘Somebody who didn’t want the truth about how and why Billy died to be found out?’
‘Do you have a good reason to believe the kid was murdered, Mrs Hicks?’
59
Her husband made to say something but she held up a hand and he remained reluctantly silent.
‘Well, I ain’t no big city lawman,’ Annie said grimly. ‘Nor any lazy, good-for-nothing small town marshal. But if you want I’ll tell you the important part, as far as I’m concerned. And you can decide for yourself?’
‘I’m listening, lady.’
‘Billy’s troublesome problem was the Colbert woman, is what I think, mister.’
‘I was getting around to – ‘ Hicks attempted to excuse himself defensively.
‘You know of the Colberts, Mr Edge?’ the woman asked as her husband expressed resignation and shifted yet again into a more comfortable position in the chair.
‘I’ve heard they have a big piece of property north-west of town. And they don’t need to scrape around to find money when bills are due. Seen for myself the sister has the brother under her thumb. That’s about it.’
Annie Hicks nodded. ‘Arthur and Olivia who run a fine spread by all accounts. Had a good start at it because the place was built up from nothing by their pa and ma. Both of them killed in a Mississippi riverboat accident awhile back.’
Hicks nodded his agreement.
‘Arthur’s a lawyer by profession and a confirmed bachelor by inclination. Which used to upset some local ladies when he was younger and they were husband hunting. But now he’s well into his fifties and so the unmarried ladies of Eternity have given up on him ever being lured to the altar.’
‘Annie, Mr Edge ain’t interested in – ‘
‘Olivia’s a different kettle of fish,’ the woman pressed on. ‘Coming up to forty but still a handsome woman. And still too flighty by half is the general opinion. Lets it be known when the fancy takes her that she’s not averse to some gentle romancing. Why, there was a time a few years back – ‘
Her husband was becoming steadily more embarrassed and interrupted again to say firmly: ‘Even though he was half her age, Billy had a yen for Olivia Colbert, Mr Edge. And he sure tried to pitch woo with her. Maybe succeeded, for all we know.’
His wife said earnestly: ‘No one but her and Billy ever knew one way or the other. Fact is, them two were friendly for a while and who had a yen for who at the start is . . .’
She shrugged. ‘But it was surely finished a couple of months before he was killed.’
‘Week or so after it ended was when Billy started acting not like his usual self,’ Hicks said.
60
‘But it didn’t seem like it was just a matter of Olivia tiring of him,’ Annie explained.
‘Travis can tell you that. There was trouble threatened. And it looked like Billy was maybe bought off from seeing Olivia any more.’
‘Darn it, there was a run-in with a bunch of hired hands, Annie. You don’t know if it had anything to do – ‘
Edge asked: ‘A run-in?’
‘A quarrel that seemed like it could’ve broken out into a fight,’ Hicks said and shot an imperious glance at his wife. ‘I was there and so I know exactly what happened.’
She argued: ‘You
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